


I'm still seeing honey sweet

by kaleidoscopeminds



Series: Bakery Cake [2]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Baker Luke Hemmings, Barista Michael Clifford, Fluff, Food, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Sequel, alcohol mention, god so much fluff, more baking similies than you would ever want, the way that is an existing tag? fuck yeah, this is a sequel? to the first part and drabble I wrote comes after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidoscopeminds/pseuds/kaleidoscopeminds
Summary: It’s okay.” Luke smiles at Calum, pausing where he’s sliding the completed pies onto a tray. “This is kind of a date.”“This is not a date!” Calum protests.Luke just laughs and pulls open the oven door. “I think it feels like a date."orFive times Luke and Calum go on what feels like a date and once when they actually… okay maybe it's six times.
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Calum Hood, Michael Clifford/Ashton Irwin
Series: Bakery Cake [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903756
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	I'm still seeing honey sweet

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! So this is for the excellent [halloween fic event](https://ashesonthefloor.tumblr.com/post/633432181552939008/hello-i-have-sat-on-this-for-almost-two-months) on tumblr hosted by the lovely ainslee, unfortunately my blog is still terminated so I cannot post this there and this has barely anything to do with halloween but you win some you lose some! My first 5+1 in my favourite AU. This follows on immediately from the [first part](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26063206), but I don't think you have to read it for this to make sense (although it may help). Special thanks to everyone who loves this AU as much as I do, and the lovely [bella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellawritess) for editing this for me when my brain wouldn't let me and also for vibe checking my characters, I think they had one right each by the end of it.
> 
> Written for the prompt: making fall themed food/decorations.

♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥

**I**

**Monday**

Luke looks over at Calum, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and head bowed over the sink, brow furrowed in concentration as he scrubs the tray in the water. He’s lit from above by the harsh lights of the kitchen that somehow cast the softest shadows across his face, from the curls on his head to the curve of his nose. Luke stops filling cupcake cases for a second just to look at Calum, running a finger over his lips where he’d kissed Luke not two hours ago. He shakes his head at the idea that Calum might like him back, and is kicking himself that he spent the last three weeks blushing and stumbling over himself rather than asking Calum out. Luke has never been good at these kinds of things, perpetually embarrassed to who he’s interested in out of fear of rejection, needing several drinks in his system to entertain the thought of even speaking to someone at a bar on the occasions that Michael did manage to drag him out. But there’s something about Calum that makes him feel so _ safe _ , and now that there’s a chance that something might happen between them, his main fear is throwing himself at Calum rather than appearing uninterested, a problem he’s not encountered before now. 

They spend the rest of the evening in the bakery to redo and finish everything that Luke hadn’t gotten done or that had gone horribly wrong earlier that day. Ashton and Michael stay to help for a bit, but Luke tells them to leave fairly early on with a roll of his eyes. The two of them are absolutely useless to him now they’re not hiding that something is going on between them. Ashton can’t go more than thirty seconds without touching Michael, dragging him in for a kiss, or putting his arm around his waist, or slyly squeezing his bum. Michael is equally bad, dropping whatever he’s holding when Ashton touches him, throwing himself towards Ashton and generally being disgusting. Luke sends them away after the fourth time Michael drops a spoon in favour of sticking his tongue in Ashton’s mouth, and the two of them leave smirking, leaving Luke to think that maybe that had been their plan all along.

That leaves him and Calum, Luke methodically redoing all his failures and Calum cleaning up behind him, gently pulling empty bowls out of Luke’s grasp with a smile. Luke feels genuinely terrible about it and protests several times that Calum should leave — it’s supposed to be his day off and it’s getting late — but Calum just laughs his warm buttery laugh and shakes his head. 

“I like watching you in here, you’re in your element,” he says with a small smile.

Luke turns to hide his smile in the oven door as he pulls out another tray of cakes.

“Do you cook at all?” he asks as Calum runs another sink of water.

“Fuck no, why do you think I live with Ashton and come here for breakfast everyday?” Calum laughs and starts dropping in any rogue spoons he can find littered around the kitchen into the sink.

“I thought it was something to do with the excellent company,” Luke responds, looking up from where he’s quickly pulling each cake from the hot tray and biting his lip at Calum.

“I think I made that clear already,” Calum says, winking at Luke before turning back to the sink.

Luke blushes as he reviews the cakes in front of him. They’re baked perfectly, as is everything that he’s done this evening. He sighs and wonders if it's too soon to attribute that to just having Calum’s presence, warm and soothing under the bright lights of the kitchen. Luke vows to himself that he will ask Calum on a date before the end of the night. He can’t let him leave again without securing a promise that they’ll see each other again outside of their morning interactions.

They occupy the rest of the evening with getting to know each other, filling in the gaps that blushy and shy words over ordering coffee hadn’t covered, and Luke feels warm finding out that Calum is just as sweet as he’d first thought, attentive and thoughtful, filled with love for his family and friends and true care for his work, however “boring” he makes his marketing agency out to be. The evening passes quickly in soft conversations and flirty looks over buttercream and mixing bowls. Luke thinks that maybe this might be the Worst Turned Best Day he’s ever had.

“So, this might be a bit forward, but we’ve already kissed, and I’m already literally washing your dishes, do you wanna go out with me?” Calum asks Luke from where he’s elbows deep in soapy water as Luke finishes icing the large cake, doing a final scrape into the centre to smooth off the last bit.

Luke looks up and blushes slightly, again. Calum had beaten him to it, taking the words out of Luke’s mouth.

“Yeah I’d like that,” he says shyly, wiping off his palette knife. “But maybe another day when I don’t feel like I’m about to pass out with exhaustion and I’m less covered in sugar?”

Calum laughs and Luke can’t help but stare at the way his eyes crease delightfully as he does so, like the tops of his chocolate crinkle cookies. “I didn’t mean now, Luke.”

“This kind of feels like a date,” Luke says with a smile. “We’ve talked about everything you’re supposed to talk about on a first date, I think.”

“No.” Calum shakes his head vehemently. “No way. I’m going to take you out properly, I promise. What are you doing on Thursday after work?”

“I’ve got a feeling it’s going out with you?” Luke asks, heading over to Calum and dropping a spatula into the soapy water before brushing his hand over Calum’s shoulder gently just to remind himself that Calum’s actually here, in his kitchen.

“Correct,” Calum says with a grin, and abruptly turns around to grab Luke’s hand. Luke squeaks at the wet grasp around his wrist but Calum just tugs him forward into his space.

“I’m going to kiss you again now, is that okay?” Calum asks, but before he can finish his question, Luke is reaching out, tipping Calum’s chin up slightly and pressing a soft kiss to Calum’s lips. He pulls away slightly only to be drawn in again immediately by Calum’s damp hands now clutching both his arms, deepening the kiss and sliding his hands up to loop around Luke’s neck. When they pull away again it’s only by an inch. Luke presses their foreheads together, softly brushes his nose against Calum’s and laughs slightly.

“Maybe next time we kiss I won’t have flour on my face,” Luke murmurs, punctuating his words with a soft peck against Calum’s lips. “As a special treat.”

“You’re already a treat,” Calum says cheekily, his forehead still touching Luke’s. “The sweetest treat in this whole bakery.”

Luke rolls his eyes but blushes again. “I’m not sure about that date now. Keep your terrible pick up lines and soggy hands away from me.”

“No can do, unfortunately,” Calum says seriously, kissing Luke again before he can respond. 

“I’ll let you off, but only because I think you are actually my guardian angel. I can’t believe you spent your whole evening here,” Luke says, shaking his head and pulling away slightly.

“It’s all part of my master plan,” Calum says, tucking one of Luke’s escaping curls behind his ear and stroking his cheek with his long fingers.

“Plan for what?” Luke murmurs, leaning into his touch.

“You’ll see.” Calum smiles. “First things first, I think you should give me your number.” 

♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥

**II**

**Tuesday**

Luke is sick. There’s no getting around it. He groans as his alarm goes off at half past four as always, but is immediately aware of the painful scratch in his throat, his nose so blocked he can’t even pull a breath in through it, and his head banging louder than a steel drum band. He groans again, which ends up in a spluttering cough, and rolls over to get his phone from where it’s plugged in next to the bed. The blinding light it gives off in the dark of his bedroom makes him squint as he scrolls to Em in his contacts, grimacing at the fact he’ll have to wake her up. It rings to voicemail twice before she answers in a confused and sleepy voice, and he quickly explains the situation in a half-gone whisper and she sounds as happy as she can do, being woken up and asked to go into work.

“I’m really sorry, maybe if I feel a bit better later I can come in and take your evening shift?” he croaks out at her.

“Absolutely not, Luke,” she reprimands gently. “I’m not having you anywhere near any food when you sound like that, you’re a hazard to health. I’ll get Michael to help me later.”

“He’ll be over the moon with that,” Luke sighs, rubbing his throat and suppressing another cough.

“Yeah, well, he can suck my dick,” she replies with a smile in her voice. “Now go back to sleep. That’s an order. We need you as healthy as possible as soon as possible.”

“Yes, mum,” he responds. Smiling, he thanks her again and ends the call. He sends a quick text to his boss to explain why Em will be taking his shifts, and then to Michael to warn him he won’t be in when he arrives, before rolling over and burying his heavy head back into his pillow and passing out again.

It's around twelve when Luke wakes up again, and he’s just contemplating dragging himself into the kitchen to make tea when he checks his phone and sees a couple of texts from Calum. He tries to tamp down the excited feeling he gets when he sees Calum’s name pop up on his screen.

**12:05 Calum:** _ Missed you this morning :( _

**12:05 Calum:** _ Michael told me you’re sick I hope you’re sleeping and eating soup  _

**12:06 Calum:** _ Michael also made fun of me when I said I knew I would have a bad day because you weren’t there to give me my morning coffee, I don’t think I want to be his friend anymore _

Luke smiles in what he’s sure is a really stupid way looking at the messages from Calum, and taps out a reply immediately.

**12:07 Luke:** _ Unfortunately no soup to be seen _

**12:07 Luke:** _ Tell Michael to fuck off next time that’s what I do :) _

**12:08 Luke** _ : (And I missed you too)  _

  
  


**12:09 Calum:** _ I told him that he should work on making a pumpkin spice latte for the season and you can’t consider yourself a high quality coffee shop until you sell one _

Luke laughs out loud, which only results in another round of hacking, before replying.

**12:10 Luke:** _I bet that went down a treat_

  
  


**12:10 Calum:** _ if by treat you mean terribly then yes _

**12:11 Calum:** _baristas are so easy to wind up_

 **12:11 Calum:** _are you up and alive?_

  
  


**12:12 Luke:** _ up, yes. alive? debatable _

**12:12 Luke:** _I’m making tea_

Calum pauses messaging for a minute, so Luke makes his tea and ventures into his living room, pulling his duvet off his bed. He’s just setting himself up with some  _ Masterchef _ on Netflix when his phone rings. It’s Calum, and he can’t help the way his heart leaps into his mouth a little at the sight of his name on the screen.

“Hi,” he croaks into the phone.

“Jesus Christ, you sound awful.”

“Hey, you should be nice to me. If I wanted to be insulted I’d talk to Michael.”

Calum laughs down the phone. “I’m sorry, how are you feeling?”

“About as good as I sound, I reckon.”

Calum makes a sympathetic noise. “You’re not going into work later, are you?”

“No, I wanted to but Em told me she’d kill me if she saw me,” Luke sighs.

“I like the sound of her already. Good head on her shoulders. Unlike some people.”

“You’re the worst at making someone feel better, by the way. You should know that.”

Calum laughs again and Luke can’t help but smile at the sound, before he hears another phone ring in the background.

“Shit, sorry, Luke, I’ve got to go back to work, just thought I would check in on the invalid.”

“No it's fine, thank you, it was good to hear your voice.” Luke blushes, and internally berates himself for saying that. He’ll blame it on his brain being utterly useless today. 

There’s a pause and Luke opens his mouth to say something else before Calum interrupts him.

“It was nice to hear yours too.” Luke can hear the smile in his voice, soft as a whipped vanilla sponge. “Even as terrible as it sounds right now.”

“Okay, I’m hanging up on you now.” 

“Bye Luke, feel better.”

Luke snuggles down into his duvet and smiles into his tea.

He spends the rest of the day sitting on his sofa and generally feeling sorry for himself when he hears a knock on the door early evening. He shuffles over to open it, blanket wrapped around his shoulders, expecting to see Michael on the other side, having received a text earlier to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere this evening. What he doesn’t expect to see is Calum, wrapped in a coat, scarf tucked around his neck and a bag in his hand. Luke becomes immediately aware of the way his hair is greasy and drooping in his eyes, that he’s still in his ratty pyjama bottoms and an old university sweatshirt with a blanket wrapped around him, and how red his nose probably looks.

“Uh, hi?” Luke says, slightly confused.

“Hello, I’m sorry to just show up like this, but Michael gave me your address.” Calum smiles warmly at Luke.

“What?” Luke says, still dazed at the fact Calum is on his doorstep. 

“Can I come in?” Calum asks, a bit hesitant. “I brought dinner,” he adds, holding up the bag next to him. 

When Luke continues to just blink at him he continues, “Luke, let's go inside, it's cold and you definitely should not be standing on the doorstep. If you want me to leave again in a minute I will.”

Luke shakes himself out of his daze and nods. “Sorry, yeah, please come in.” He steps out of the way and Calum brushes past him, bringing the crisp scent of the November air and a few stray leaves into his ground floor flat. “I don’t want you to leave again.” He adds, quietly, and Calum gives him a smile.

“Sorry if this is weird or whatever,” Calum says, nervously scuffing his hand up the back of his head. “But you said you had no soup and I know when I’m sick I can barely bring myself to move let alone make a meal.”

“No, not at all, I just…” Luke shakes his head and then breaks out into a genuine smile, his whole body warming at the sight of Calum, like a pan of toffee sauce heated through on the stove. 

He shows Calum through to the kitchen and Calum pulls off his coat and scarf to reveal his black jeans and a soft green hoodie. Luke hasn’t seen Calum in casual clothes before and decides that he likes the look of it a lot. He remembers again his pyjamas and makes a noise of discontent.

“What?” Calum smiles at him, hanging his coat on the back of a chair and setting his bag on the counter.

“You standing there looking like that while I look like this,” Luke says grumpily, sniffing slightly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Calum says. “Now sit down, where are your plates and bowls, let's get you fed.” 

Luke blushes again and shakes his head, but follows instructions and pulls himself onto the stool next to his counter. He can’t believe that Calum is standing here in his kitchen, pulling out tupperwares of soup and bags of bread rolls. He thinks that he might like the look of it quite a lot, watching Calum move about his kitchen, fiddling with the oven settings and sliding the rolls onto a tray.

“Are those from Ashton?” Luke asks with interest, leaning over.

“Yep, they’re the cheddar and herb rolls,” Calum says, putting them in the oven.

“They’re my favourite ones.”

“I know,” Calum says, flushing slightly. “I asked Ash which ones I should bring.”

Warmth bubbles up in Luke again like a simmering sugar syrup and he ducks his head, biting his lip.

“The soup, though, that’s all me,” Calum continues, pouring carefully into bowls and setting the microwave.

“You told me yesterday you couldn’t cook,” Luke says accusingly.

“I can’t. Soup, however, is my specialty,” Calum says seriously.

“How can soup be a speciality?” Luke laughs. “It’s soup.”

“You’re saying that before you’ve tried my soup,” Calum says, wiggling his eyebrows at Luke. “Get ready to be blown away.”

Luke snorts and follows it up immediately with another round of hacking coughs. Calum, to his credit, doesn’t look disgusted at what Luke is sure is a disgusting sight, just opens cupboards up until he finds a glass, fills it with water and slides it across the counter towards Luke.

“Clearly I’m too charming and hilarious to even be here, I’ll send you to an early grave,” he says solemnly, as the microwave pings.

Calum ushers Luke back into the living room and hands him a bowl, before retrieving his own, putting the bread on the coffee table and sitting himself next to Luke on the sofa. He digs the remote out from underneath him and presses play on another episode of  _ Masterchef _ .

Luke has to admit that the soup is pretty good, but privately thinks that having Calum make it and hand-deliver it to his home makes it taste even better. They eat in companionable silence, apart from Luke making derisive noises at  _ Masterchef _ when they do something he deems ridiculous, and explaining to Calum around mouthfuls of bread what the contestants are doing incorrectly.

Once they finish eating Luke tucks his feet underneath him and rests his head back on the sofa, closing his eyes, content despite the stuffiness in his nose. He feels Calum’s hand slip into his underneath the duvet and he turns his head to look at him. Calum is watching the TV intently, but there’s a smile playing on his lips, and Luke bites his lip to tamp down his own smile. He turns back to the TV, and Calum starts to rub small circles into the back of Luke’s hand as they watch together. A little while later Calum’s hand starts to pull on Luke’s hand to try to drag him closer to Calum on the sofa.

“I’ll make you sick as well,” Luke protests.

“I’ve already had this cold, I’m sure,” Calum says. 

Luke shakes his head but lets himself be pulled towards Calum until his head is resting against his shoulder and Calum’s arm is wrapped around his shoulder. 

“Is this a date?” Luke asks quietly, eyes drooping as he nuzzles into Calum slightly.

“No way,” Calum murmurs, smoothing his hand through Luke’s hair. “I told you I’m taking you on a proper date.”

“It feels like a date,” Luke says, eyes closed.

“Just you wait,” Calum says.

Luke hums slightly as his consciousness begins to swim, hazing out on the edges with Calum’s shoulder under his cheek and his hand running through Luke’s hair gently. Luke only vaguely remembers getting into bed; he knows Calum was there, and he should probably feel embarrassed about essentially falling asleep on someone he theoretically doesn’t know well, and have him basically put Luke to bed, but he can’t bring himself to when he wakes up the next day with the ghost of Calum’s lips brushing over his forehead.

♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥  
  


**IV**

**Thursday**

Luke finishes shaping his croissants and checks the clock. After two days of wallowing in boredom and excess phlegm, Em finally judged that his voice sounded healthy enough on the phone to let him have his shift back. He’s smug that he’s actually managed to finish on time today and he’s got half a chance of not having flour in his hair when he goes on his and Calum’s planned date. They’ve spent the last two days talking almost constantly, Calum sending him funny photos of his dog and updates on his increasingly ridiculous ways of winding Michael up, and Luke can’t quite believe the Calum-shaped impact he’s had on Luke’s life in only the past few days. Luke deftly rolls up the last croissant, stretching the end slightly and tucking it carefully underneath when his phone rings. He fishes it out of his pocket and smiles when he sees its Calum calling. He struggles for a moment to answer with the flour on his fingers but manages to swipe to answer him.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Luke laughs. “I’m meant to be seeing you in an hour.”

“Luke,” Calum sounds stressed and breathless on the phone, like he’s been running somewhere, and Luke can almost visualise the way he’s undoubtedly running his hand through his hair.

“Hi Cal, what’s up?” he asks with a smile, tucking the phone into his shoulder as he counts the number of pastries he’s finished.

“I need your help, like desperately,” Calum continues, and it sounds to Luke as though he’s actually running; he can hear traffic noise and the wind whistling past.

“What do you need?” Luke asks, actually concerned now, sliding the covered pastries into the fridge. 

“I need cake,” Calum says, “Oh shit, sorry mate!” Luke hears Calum swear and the unmistakable sound of a car horn.

“Where are you?” Luke responds. “Please try not to get run over?”

“Fuck, sorry, I’m on my way to you right now, I’m literally outside,” Calum says and Luke hears the door at the front of the café open.

A second later and Calum appears in the kitchen, looking windswept and absolutely gorgeous, pink in his cheeks and a beanie shoved on his head, a few stray curls escaping in the front. Luke wonders again how he’s managed to (almost) date this man, but tries not to be distracted by that thought because Calum looks stressed, biting the inside of his cheek and hand fiddling with his messenger bag strap.

“Hi,” Luke says quietly, smiling at Calum and approaching him, sliding his bag off his shoulder and pulling him in for a brief hug. Calum smells like he always does, spicy and warm but with a hint of the autumn air, crisp and sweet, something like the special autumn apple pies he’s been developing. He feels Calum’s tense shoulders relax slightly, his body melting into Luke’s like a piece of softened chocolate that’s been held in a warm hand. 

“You need cake?” Luke repeats, pulling back and keeping his hands on Calum’s shoulders.

Calum lifts a hand to twine his fingers with Luke’s and scrubs his other hand over his face. “Yes,” he groans.

“Well you’ve come to the right place.” Luke winks at Calum and casts his free hand around the kitchen.

“No like, a lot of cake,” Calum mumbles. 

“I don’t understand.” Luke cocks his head slightly at Calum.

There’s a pause as Calum shuffles his feet.

“How much cake, Calum?” Luke asks slowly.

“Enough for an event,” Calum says quickly, under his breath.

“Calum, come on, give me the full picture here,” Luke responds, rubbing his thumb over Calum’s knuckles in what he hopes is a comforting way.

“Okay, but don’t be upset.” Calum looks at Luke beseechingly, and Luke makes a  _ go-on _ motion. “So a couple of weeks ago my boss was talking about an event that he wanted to host at the office on a Friday as a celebration of the best quarter we’ve ever had and he was planning the catering, and I might have mentioned that I knew of a really amazing bakery that might be able to do something and apparently he took that to mean I had sorted it and he asked me today when the food was going to arrive and I honestly was going to ask you about it but then I didn’t even know how to talk to you at all and—”

Luke takes this moment to interrupt Calum before he can get off track again. “Calum, when is the event?”

“Tomorrow,” Calum says, wincing.

“And for how many people?” Luke asks slowly.

“Two hundred?” Calum squeaks.

“ _ Calum _ ,” Luke groans.

“I know I know and I’m not expecting you to do anything but I was just wondering whether you had anything at all that I could take? Anything left over? And I don’t know I suppose I’ll just buy the rest,” Calum says, pressing his hand into his eyes before looking at Luke.

Luke pauses for a moment at Calum’s pleading look before he walks over to a cupboard and pulls out an apron, throwing it at Calum’s head. Calum looks confused as the fabric bounces off his face and into his hands and then looks up at Luke with a questioning look.

“Well come on, put that on, we’ve got quite a bit to do haven’t we?” Luke starts pulling out the bowls and replugging in his mixer.

“Luke, what?” Calum asks, bewildered.

“I think we should go with an autumn theme here, play into the season, toasted marshmallow cupcakes, mini cinnamon apple pies, do you want any savouries? I don’t know what I’ve got in the store but I might have some frozen stuff from Ashton in the freezer. Actually have you spoken to Ashton, he might have some stuff we can pinch?” Luke quickly starts scribbling down in his notebook, before looking up to meet Calum’s eyes. “No time for standing around, Cal.”

Luke sees Calum unfreeze with a strangely intense look in his eyes, before he walks over to Luke with purpose, pulling the pen out of Luke’s hand, grabbing his chin and kissing him soundly on the lips. 

“Have I told you how amazing you are?” Calum breathes against Luke’s mouth.

Luke blushes and giggles, pecking Calum on the lips before pulling back. “Don’t say that yet, we’ve got a long night ahead of us. So enough of that, start chopping apples.” 

“Yes sir,” Calum smirks as Luke pulls away to head into the store room. 

“Right, what am I doing with these,” Calum asks, looking up from the huge bag of apples that Luke has dropped on the surface next to him.

“Peel, core, chop,” Luke instructs, weighing sugar and scraping his mixer simultaneously. “I’m hoping your soup making skill will extend to apple prep.”

Calum just nods and starts dutifully starts peeling. He is in charge of apples only and he manages to prepare them and get them in a pot to stew in the same time it takes for Luke to make and bake 4 batches of cupcakes, fish out and begin defrosting a hundred or so mini quiches from the freezer, mix up a batch of biscuit dough and roll out some spare pastry he’d managed to dig out of the fridge from his previous experiments. 

It’s a couple of hours later, close to 8pm, when Luke is carefully directing Calum to spread the cinnamon apple filling in a precise square in the middle of the carefully cut pastry, Luke following him and quickly plaiting the lattice on top with practiced hands, when Calum abruptly stops and groans.

“Fuck, we were meant to be on a date, weren’t we?  _ And _ now I’ve made you work instead,” he says mournfully.

“It’s okay.” Luke smiles at Calum, pausing where he’s sliding the completed pies onto a tray. “This is kind of a date.”

“This is not a date!” Calum protests.

Luke just laughs and pulls open the oven door. “I think it feels like a date. Keep filling, I’m catching you up.”

“I’m going to take you out soon, Luke Hemmings, and that’s a threat,” Calum says seriously, focusing back on his job. “Tomorrow night.”

♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥

**VI**

**Friday**

Michael is acting strange. Well, stranger than normal. He’s managed to mix up the milk jugs twice, ground coffee with no filter in place so it's gone all over the floor, and strangest of all not made a single comment about Calum and Luke flirting with each other aggressively as Calum orders his coffee. Calum raises his eyebrows significantly at him after he’s paid and goes to take his normal seat in the corner. Under the guise of clearing a nearby table Luke heads towards him. 

“It’s something to do with Ashton,” Calum says quickly as Luke gets close enough to him.

“I thought it might be,” Luke replies quietly, gathering mugs of the neighbouring table. “Ashton barely spoke to me when he delivered the bread this morning and didn’t mention Michael at all, which is the first time that’s happened since he met him.”

“Yeah, he was awful last night, sat on the sofa all night and didn’t go to sleep till past 11,” Calum says with a grimace.

“That’s not normal behaviour?” Luke asks.

Calum snorts into his coffee. “Are you sure you know Ashton at all? Ashton doesn’t do sitting on the sofa. Thursday night is self-reflection and yoga. And he sleeps promptly at 8pm to get up at 3am to start the bread.”

Luke nods his head in assent. That does sound like Ashton. He turns back and watches Michael dejectedly press lids onto coffee cups. 

“I think I’m going to have to postpone our date again.” Luke sighs and turns back to Calum with an apologetic look. “Think I need to get him out.”

“Don’t worry,” Calum smiles at him. “I was literally about to say the same, I can’t leave Ashton moping on the sofa for another night.”

Luke nods and smiles and goes to turn back to the counter when he feels Calum’s hand wrap around his wrist and tug him back around.

“I know I keep saying this, but tomorrow night?” Calum asks. 

“Yes,” Luke laughs. “Saturday night is better anyway because I don’t have to work on Sunday.”

“What are you insinuating?” Calum raises his eyebrows at Luke.

Luke flames red. “Shut up.”

Calum just laughs as Luke goes back to the counter. When Calum leaves a little while later he gives Luke a significant look, and a few minutes after Luke knows Calum’s arrived at work he receives a flurry of texts from him. Luke surreptitiously answers them in gaps between customers at the end of the morning rush.

**09:06 Calum:** _ ok I’ve been thinking  _

**09:06 Calum:** _ we both have influence on Ashton and Michael _

**09:06 Calum:** _ I think we should do something to sort them out _

**09:06 Calum:** _ use our power for good _

  
  


**09:08 Luke:** _I don’t want to interfere_

**09:09 Calum** : _ WHY _

**09:09 Calum:** _they interfered with us!_

  
  


**09:12 Luke:** _ two wrongs and all that Calum _

  
  


**09:15 Calum** : _ I can’t live with Ashton like this Luke _

**09:15 Calum:** _ If you won’t do it for them do it for me _

**09:24 Calum:** _ I might kill him if he mopes about for another day and then I’d be sent to jail and then we’d never go on a date _

  
  


**09:30 Luke:** _ you’re ridiculous _

**09:31 Luke:** _ its lucky you’ve got good hair _

  
  


**09:32 Calum:** _ I think I liked you more when you were too shy to speak to me _

  
  


**09:32 Luke:** _ Back at you!!!! _

**09:43 Luke:** _ Okay fine I’m in _

  
  


**09:44 Calum:** _ What changed your mind?? _

  
  


**09:44 Luke:** _ I just watched Michael pour a sad face into a flat white _

**09:44 Luke:** _ I didn’t even know that was possible _

  
  


**09:45 Calum:** _ that’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard _

**09:45 Calum:** _ ok I’ve got a plan, stand by for further instructions _

  
  


**09:45 Luke:** _ you’re so stupid _

  
  


**09:48 Calum:** _ you love it _

*

It’s closing time after all the customers have left when Luke decides to broach the subject with Michael. It takes a bit of time to drag it out of him but Luke knows how to get around Michael being unnecessarily prickly about these kinds of things and gently manages to get it out of him whilst offering to help him clean up the front of the café rather than staying in the back.

“So you’re telling me you’re sulking because Ashton asked you if you wanted to be his boyfriend and you said you needed to think about it, ran away, and have been ignoring him ever since?” Luke asks incredulously, pausing where he’s clearing out the crumbs left in the display case to look at Michael with a frown.

“Why did he ask so soon?” Michael protests, wiping down the tables.

“You’ve been seeing each other for three weeks, and you’re fucking head over heels for each other, I don’t think that’s unreasonable,” Luke replies gently.

“Stop taking his side!” Michael throws his dirty cloth at Luke, and Luke grabs it before it can fall on the floor.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side, Mikey,” Luke says with a small smile, walking over to him and putting the cloth back in his hand. “Do you like Ashton?”

“Yes, of course I do,” Michael frowns.

“Do you want him to be seeing anyone else?” 

“No!” Michael glares at Luke.

“And do you want to be seeing anyone else?” Luke probes.

“No.”

“Then I hate to break it to you, Michael, but you’re already basically his boyfriend,” Luke finishes with a smile.

“I hate this,” Michael says, kicking the table next to him.

“No you don’t,” Luke replies. “You love it, you love how caring and attentive he is and how he makes you feel, you’re just scared of it.” 

Michael groans and falls into a chair, dropping his head to the just wiped table.

“Tell him how you actually feel,” Luke says, coming over and brushing a hand through his hair.

“Luke I don’t think I can actually speak to him ever again now after the way I acted,” Michael’s voice is muffled by the table.

Luke laughs. “Yes you can.”

“No I can’t, that’s it, I’m never seeing him again, it's for the best.”

Luke pauses for a moment, sighs, and thinks that maybe it's time to put Calum’s plan into action.

“How about we go for a drink tonight?” Luke asks.

“No, I don’t feel like it,” Michael says petulantly into the table.

“Come on,” Luke wheedles. “The winter market’s just opened, I’ll buy you a spiked hot chocolate and those terrible mini doughnuts.”

“They’re not terrible, you're just a snob,” Michael says, and Luke smiles, knowing he’s persuaded him. 

“They’re under-proofed and the oil they use isn’t hot enough so they’re always greasy,” Luke says firmly.

“Well you’ve already promised to buy me them so sucks to be you,” Michael says, looking up and smiling reluctantly. 

*

“What the fuck, Luke,” Michael hisses, clutching his hot chocolate as his eyes going wide. 

Luke looks up from where he’s just paid for their drinks and glances over to where Michael’s looking to see Calum and Ashton in a queue next to them. Luke is momentarily distracted from the reason why they’re there when he looks at Calum. His beanie is back on his head with curls escaping, coat buttoned up to his throat and the glow from the stall in front of him lighting up his face as he laughs at something Ashton says to him, eyes creasing up and mouth open wide. 

He’s pulled out of his reverie by Michael gripping his arm hard enough to bruise.

“Why is he here?” Michael whines. 

“Come on,” Luke says, tugging Michael towards the other two.

“Are you fucking crazy, no way!” Michael remains stationary, stubbornly gluing his feet to the ground.

Luke rolls his eyes but doesn’t have to try to persuade Michael; Calum looks up at Luke at that moment, and Luke’s breath catches slightly at the way Calum’s whole face lights up when he meets Luke’s eyes. Calum waves and taps Ashton to get his attention, and when Ashton spies Luke and Michael his eyes widen and Luke can see him whisper something furiously to Calum. Calum rests a hand on Ashton’s shoulder and Luke watches him murmur something to him before starting to walk towards Luke and Michael, with Ashton following slightly behind, looking down nervously fiddling with his coat sleeves. 

Michael squeaks quietly in Luke’s ear and squeezes his polystyrene cup so hard he slops hot chocolate over the edge.

“Hi,” Calum says brightly as he approaches.

“Hi,” Luke responds, unable to do anything but smile widely at Calum.

“Uh, hello,” Ashton says quietly.

Luke watches Michael struggle for a second, can almost see his mind going a thousand miles an hour, and he opens his mouth as if he’s going to say something but then closes it again.

“Can we talk?” Ashton continues.

Luke and Calum take that as their cue; Calum jerks his head back in the direction of the other stall and Luke nods at him, looking at Ashton and Michael avoiding each other’s eyes.

“Talk,” Luke says, patting Michael on the shoulder and retreating with Calum.

“I know you’re behind this and I hate you!” Michael calls as Luke walks away.

“Talk!” Luke calls back, not turning around.

Calum laughs and grabs Luke’s hand as they walk away. 

“Your hand is so cold,” Luke complains. 

“I don’t own gloves,” Calum responds.

“Here,” Luke says smiling, tucking his and Calum’s hand into his own coat pocket. Calum grins back and squeezes Luke’s hand slightly in thanks, and Luke feels a zip in his chest, smiling down at the ground.

They walk back over to the other stall and Calum buys himself a beer, keeping his hand in Luke’s pocket the whole time, so Luke has to pluck his wallet out of his back pocket himself, turning even pinker in the cold. They have to work together to get Calum’s card out of his wallet and Luke can’t stop giggling, even as the guy serving them gives them a barely concealed eye roll. 

They stand quietly, craning their necks to see what’s going on with Michael and Ashton. Michael’s still standing there, which Luke thinks is a good sign, as Ashton gestures at him earnestly. A minute later and they’re attached at the mouth again and Luke laughs, partly out of surprise but mainly out of relief.

"Is that it?" He says disbelievingly. "All that to be sorted in a five minute chat and a kiss?"

“I suppose our work here is done,” Calum says amusedly as Ashton and Michael walk off, hand in hand, without a backwards look at Calum and Luke. “I’m a genius.”

Luke laughs and pretends to step on Calum’s foot, before shuffling closer, trying to absorb some of his warmth.

“I’m cold,” Luke says, finishing his drink and throwing it in the bin and stamping his feet slightly. “Your coat looks so much warmer than mine.”

“Come here then,” Calum smiles, unbuttoning his coat and opening it enough for Luke to slip his arms around Calum’s waist. Calum wraps his coat around as much of Luke as he can manage. “You’re way too broad for this.”

Luke laughs and drops his nose into Calum’s warm neck, making Calum inhale sharply.

“Fuck, your nose is cold,” Calum protests. “You’re lucky it's so cute.”

Luke just replies by rubbing his nose against Calum’s neck and pressing a quick kiss there. 

He doesn’t think he’s ever had this with someone else before, but he loves being this close to Calum. They haven’t even properly gone out yet but he loves the way he can fall into Calum’s arms, the casual way that Calum will touch him at any opportunity, even if it's just brushing his fingers deliberately over Luke’s as he passes him his coffee. Calum takes any opportunity to slide his arms around Luke’s waist or grab his hand for no reason, and the casual intimacy sets Luke on fire, makes him feel like a flambéed dessert that’s just been lit, blue and orange flames licking hotly over him. 

“Is  _ this _ a date?” Luke murmurs into Calum’s skin.

“No,” Calum says and Luke can hear him smile. “We’re just here to help our friends.”

“It feels like a date,” Luke says with a giggle. 

“Tomorrow,” Calum says threateningly, and squeezes Luke even closer. 

♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥

**V**

**Saturday**

  
  


**18:30 Calum:** _ I’m on my way _

**18:30 Calum:** _ I promise there’s no more cake to make _

**18:31 Calum:** _ Ashton is already with Michael _

**18:31 Calum:** _ Please tell me you’re healthy _

**18:35 Luke:** _ As long as I’m not struck down in the next 20 minutes I think we’ll be fine _

**18:36 Calum:** _ Don’t fucking jinx it Luke _

**18:37 Luke:** _ You’re the one travelling here, don’t get run over or anything _

**18:37 Calum:** _ Don’t!!!! Say!!! Anything!!!  _

Luke smooths down the collar of his satin shirt and drapes another necklace around his neck, pendant dropping down into where his shirt is open slightly. He doesn’t know why he’s nervous, he’s seen Calum every day for the past month and he’s spent pretty much every waking minute in the last week speaking to him. There’s just something so strangely formal about going on a date with him, in a way that nothing about them has been before. He checks himself in the mirror and laughs at himself dressing up for a man that has seen him both sick as anything and covered in flour, not sure who he’s attempting to impress. The fact that Calum still likes him and wants to take him out is beyond him; Luke is so unfamiliar with anyone taking the time that Calum has to get him to come out of his shell. 

He hears a knock on the door, adjusts his hair slightly and then makes his way over. He takes a deep breath and opens the door to come face to face with Calum, and involuntarily inhales again. Calum, predictably, looks incredible. He’s wearing some of the tightest jeans Luke’s ever seen and a dark stripy shirt that’s unbuttoned low enough for Luke to see his tattoos peeking out. Luke’s eyes trail down his arms to see his shirt rolled up to his elbows, and his mouth almost starts watering at the sight of the veins running down his tanned forearms into his lovely hands. He’s got a leather jacket clutched in his grip that he’s clearly only just removed. Calum’s eyes scan up Luke’s body and Luke almost shivers at the look in his eyes when they finally meet his.

“Jesus, Luke,” Calum breathes, backing Luke through the doorway, sliding his hands up Luke’s satin covered arms and resting his hand over where his shirt is open on his chest.

“Are those—” Calum seems to choke on his next words. “Leather trousers?” He pauses and throws Luke an accusing look. “You’ve been holding out on me.

Luke blushes. “Well I can’t wear stuff like this in the bakery, now can I?”

“Thank fuck for that,” Calum says, sliding his hand to rest on Luke’s hip. “I wouldn’t have been able to control myself if I’d seen you strutting around like this.”

“You can barely control yourself anyway,” Luke responds cheekily, reaching up to play with the hairs at the back of Calum’s head. “And I don’t strut.” 

He’s referring to the way that both nights that Calum’s been with Luke in the bakery until late, he’s finished the evening by grabbing Luke and kissing him stupid against the counter. Luke thinks he’d probably broken about a hundred hygiene rules but he did at least stop Calum when he’d tried to get a bit more hands on with Luke. 

“Mm, and who can blame me.” Calum leans forward, catching Luke’s lips in a gentle kiss, barely there, before pressing their lips together firmly, hand coming up to grip the back of Luke’s head tightly. Luke sighs into the kiss, loops his fingers into Calum’s belt hoops and pulls the other man even closer to him. 

Calum walks Luke back towards his kitchen counter and crowds him against it without breaking their kiss. Luke feels the edge of the counter dig into his spine but he just pulls Calum even closer, relishing the chance to kiss him without worrying about giving Calum a cold, Michael showing up unexpectedly, or being in his place of work. Calum’s chest is pressed against his, his hands running up the back of Luke’s shirt, one coming to rest around the back of his neck and the other gripping his waist. They kiss like that for a while, Luke relaxing under the sweet taste of Calum’s mouth, still slightly cool from the November air and tasting slightly of smoke. Luke curls his fingers into Calum’s open shirt, scraping his nails over his tattoos and leaves the other hand skimming the edge of Calum’s jeans over his hip bone. Calum gasps hotly into Luke’s mouth and Luke groans back.

“Is this okay?” Calum asks sweetly, pulling Luke’s shirt out from where it’s tucked into his trousers and pressing his hands into Luke’s side. Luke inhales at the feeling of Calum’s long fingers circling his waist and pressing down and nods frantically. 

“What about the date?” Luke gasps, as Calum runs his teeth along his collarbone, dipping his tongue into the hollow of his throat and dragging his lips up Luke’s neck. 

“Do you want to go on the date?” Calum murmurs against Luke’s skin. “Tell me now and we’ll go on the date.”

“I might have an alternative suggestion,” Luke whispers into Calum’s ear before pulling away slightly, pushing Calum back from him.

“And what’s that?” Calum asks slowly as Luke grabs on to his wrist and starts tugging him out of the kitchen.

“Come with me and you’ll find out.” Luke blushes red but continues to pull Calum towards his bedroom.

“Who are you and what have you done with my shy, sweet baker?” Calum groans.

Luke just laughs. He’s not sure what’s happened to him either, just that he knows that even without going on a real date with Calum, this is right; that he wants to be close to Calum in every way he can, that he wants to get his hands on him, wants to feel him. He smiles widely at Calum and drags him into his room. 

♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥

**+1**

**Sunday**

Luke stretches luxuriously and blinks his eyes open at the early autumn light slipping through his curtains and pooling onto the bed like a golden caramel. He reaches out and brushes his fingers over the expanse of warm skin that’s pressed up against him and smiles slightly. He can’t remember the last time he actually slept until it was light outside, normally waking up in the early morning darkness regardless of whether it was his day off or not. Luke smiles and blushes slightly remembering his and Calum’s evening, only leaving Luke’s bed long enough to get the pizza they had ordered before returning, spending the evening sharing thoughts and stories and lingering touches. 

“Hi,” Calum murmurs from where he’s got his face pressed against Luke’s chest, nosing it slightly.

“Good morning,” Luke says brightly, continuing to skim his fingers over Calum’s torso and down his arms.

Calum makes a grumpy noise against Luke’s chest. “I forgot that you’re such a morning person.” He flips his hand when Luke’s fingers reach his wrist to tangle Luke’s fingers with his own. “I suppose I might have to make myself become one.” 

“So about the date you threatened me with all week?” Luke says, absently playing with Calum’s fingers where they rest on his own chest.

“If I go make us coffee and get a croissant that I know you steal from the bakery, and we eat in bed, does that count as a breakfast date?” Calum mumbles into Luke’s sternum, lips brushing against his skin.

Luke caresses his fingers over Calum’s back, blushing slightly at the marks there that he can match his own fingers up against. “Mm that sounds nice.” 

Calum begins to kiss Luke’s chest, brushing his lips over Luke’s collarbone and pressing his tongue into the light bruises he left across Luke’s throat, before sucking lightly at the soft skin beneath Luke’s ear.

“It can probably wait a few more minutes though,” Luke murmurs, threading his fingers into Calum’s hair. He remembers something Calum had said to him at the beginning of the week. “How’s your master plan going?”

Calum considers for a moment, then smirks up at him. “Well, I was going to wait a bit longer, but do you want to be my boyfriend?”

“Yeah, okay,” Luke replies, ducking his head and turning pink, hiding his face in the wayward curls on top of Calum’s head.

“Then it's going perfectly,” Calum says smugly. “Even with the lack of dates.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, we’ve been on five already.” Luke pulls Calum up to his lips.   
  



End file.
